Uganda's approach to severance makes documentation more valuable than in jurisdictions with a fixed multiplier.
The three factors
Where the parties cannot agree, a Labour Officer determines the amount based on:
- Length of service
- Wages
- Circumstances of the termination
Each is something you can prove — or fail to prove.
Proving length of service
Since Section 25 allows oral contracts, many Ugandan workers have no signed document showing when they started.
What can establish it:
- Your first payslip
- NSSF records showing the first contribution
- An appointment or confirmation letter
- Correspondence dated around your start
- Colleagues who can attest
Proving wages
Payslips across the period, not just the most recent one. A history showing progression supports a higher determination than a single figure.
Proving circumstances
Because the Act distinguishes between employer termination, redundancy, insolvency, and unfair termination or failure to follow lawful procedure, the circumstances matter to the outcome.
Keep:
- The written notice and its stated reason
- Restructuring or closure announcements
- Any evidence that procedure was not followed
The casual worker question
Employees who are not casual workers, and who can show a pattern of regular, continuous work amounting to ongoing employment, may qualify for severance.
If you have been engaged repeatedly on casual terms, a record of that continuity is what makes the argument.
Start documenting now
Records created during employment carry more weight than reconstructions afterwards. Keep payslips as you receive them, and check your NSSF statement periodically.
Where to go
The Labour Officer for your district, under the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.